Disclaimer: I don't own slayers or any of the characters, too bad though!



The cinders from the ashes were still smoking as they walked along the makeshift path. A cloud of silence hung over them, swallowing any would be words with emptiness, with quiet. Every sound being strangled and its last breath taken before it was even heard. It was that quiet. Lina sighed and yawned as she stared out into the seemingly endless forest. Amelia, catching the yawn (since everybody knows that yawning is contagious) followed in suit. Zel however, began to look impatient.

"This is taking forever!!!!!! Exactly how far is it to that Zombalaguaninkalifoniaa place Xelloss?! We've been walking for hours and the forest still looks exactly the same as when we started!" Zel spoke up

"We still have oh. about one and a half more days of walking." Xelloss said after glancing around "To get to the out regions at least."

"Hmm... Gourry, how much food..." Zelgadis started saying but stopped when he saw the gigantic pack of food bouncing around on Gourry's back and sweatdropped. "'Gourry, where did you get so much food...?" Zel said slowly so that Gourry could understand.

"What do you mean? I've been carrying this pack full around since the last village we passed, why, is there something wrong?" Gourry asked confusedly

Zel just groaned and turned around and kept walking, sweatdropping the whole time. "Well, that means we probably have enough food to last us for a while, so, if we can find some water, then we're set." Zel stated matter of factly

Xelloss glanced around at the group and at Lina before turning back to facing the road. The slightest hint of a crooked grin escaping his face.

"Xelloss..., do you know if there's any suitable places to set up camp around here?" Lina asked, her voice low and tired sounding

Xelloss turned his attention back to Lina and the coordinates of their position before answering her.

"I believe that there's one not far off, maybe 10 minutes away from here that would be okay." he said with his usual high-energized cheerful voice. The complete opposite of Lina's right about now.

"Okay guys, as soon as we get there, we're setting up camp and getting some sleep. I'm pooped." Lina said, yawning as she did so, reflecting what the others, except Xelloss obviously felt like. "Okay? Okay." she said as she looked at everyone nodding in agreement.

"Umm.. Lina, I think we should have a guard posted. Since we're in the middle of a forest, thanks to you, there's lots if wild animals and other scary things lurking around at night..." Xelloss said as a word of advice

"All right then, who wants to take the first shift?" Lina asked hopefully

"I will." Zel said, slightly raising his hand like some kind of schoolboy

"Second?"

"Me! Me!" Xelloss said getting hyper off of the negative emotions emanating off the crowd.

"What?! Xelloss take a watch?!!!! Whoa, he must be pretty hyper!" Lina said dubiously. After pausing for a moment, said "I'll take the third watch, and Gourry'll take the third."

When they got to the clearing, they moved all of the sticks, twigs, and small trees out of the way before they started setting up tents and making a campfire. Heading towards Xelloss, Lina walked up to his side and joined him picking up sticks and got his attention by coughing quietly.

"What can I do for you Lina?" Xelloss asked still getting off his negative emotion high.

"Something's been bothering me, Xelloss. If this area was forest before I blasted it, then how would you have known that there was a clearing here?" She asked skeptically

"Now that's.... a secret!" Xelloss chirped

Lina just groaned and ran a hand over her face, before asking again.

"Lina, I'm trained to survive anywhere, even where there's forests,... or not... I'm just using my knowledge of the landscape to guide me." he said, almost looking like a college professor.

Lina nodded and walked away and went over to help Amelia set up a tent that was giving her some trouble.

Xelloss smiled a pleasant smile and continued to pick up sticks, glancing over at Lina every now and then, thinking to himself, and laughing quietly.





how was it? i'm trying to make them a little longer, but oh well. Tell me how you liked this new chapter!!!!! (in Gourry terms, review it!!!!) Ch. 6 coming soon!!!

~Anakara